Medicine
by eyepatchesandpipes
Summary: Hermione is injured during an unexpected Death Eater attack. Minerva is her medicine. One-shot, femmeslash, HGMM, fluff. T for violence.


**A/N: Well, another HGMM one-shot! Not an M this time, rating's been brought down to T which is the usual rating I write at so I should be more comfortable. Femmeslash, but no warnings apart from that. Set during sixth year summer, doesn't comply with what happens during the 7th****book.**

Minerva hissed in pain as a curse cut her under her emerald eye, the gash causing a crimson rivulet to form a path down her cheek as though she were crying blood. Minerva sent another stunning spell in the direction of the death eater that had hurt her, watching with satisfaction as the hood flew off his face and his dirty silver-blonde hair caught in the sunlight as he summersaulted through the air and landed face first in a puddle.

She hoped for a moment that no-one would notice the unconscious man and he'd drown in the filth, but unfortunately for Minerva Bellatrix Lestrange decided to take pity on the miserable excuse for a human that she called her brother-in-law. With a sharp kick to the side of his head Lucius rolled out of the puddle before the formidable death eater spat at him and sent another crucio at Tonks. The Auror leapt out of the way in time for the curse to hit Bellatrix's own husband, Rodolphus.

Minerva saw the death eater hiss in frustration and turn her attention to a more pressing matter; Hermione Granger. The Gryffindor had fired a body-binding charm at Bellatrix but she had cast protego in the nick of time.

Minerva cast this charm herself as she saw Rodolphus fire a curse at her. Minerva resumed fighting with her new challenge, keeping in mind her surroundings.

It seemed that nearly every death eater had chosen this particular moment to show up at the Burrow. The Weasley's had been present, with the exception of Arthur, when they attacked. Molly had immediately sent a patronus to the ministry and it had only taken a few minutes for Arthur, Tonks, Remus and Kingsley to appear. By this point Minerva had decided to pop in for a visit.

Of course, as soon as she apparated she was hit with a stupefy and awoke 5 minutes later to find Hermione crouched over her, fending off Lucius Malfoy and Fenrir Greyback.

It was a wonder she had managed to find time to cast ennervate.

At this point, Lucius Malfoy and Fenrir Greyback were both unconscious with Avery in a body-bind. Half of the death eaters were already gone, having apparated due to cowardice or injury. It was most likely they would be punished later; by Voldemort himself or by Bellatrix, Minerva was unsure. Probably both.

However, their own side were not without injuries; Harry had suffered several curses and was bleeding badly. In his panic to aid his family, Arthur had splinched and was barely managing to stand, let alone fight. Fred was defending the unconscious body of George while Molly was battering the death eater who had knocked one of her sons out while Bill and Fleur were back to back and surrounded, multiple injuries littering their bodies.

Minerva placed a body-bind curse on Rodolphus and spun around. There was an ear-splitting scream from behind her and she watched with horror, unable to move, as Hermione fell to the ground. She continued to scream in agony as Bellatrix 'dealt with her problem'.

The cruciatus curse. Minerva raised her wand and was desperately searching for a spell, but try as she might there was only one spell going through her head.

_Avada Kedavra. Avada Kedavra. Avada Kedavra. Avada Kedavra. Avada Kedavra._

It was like a sick mantra running through Minerva's head; all she could think of was the killing curse. Bellatrix was hurting Hermione. _Her_ Hermione. Hermione was Minerva's; she was her favourite student, her close friend and her secret love. If Bellatrix was hurting Hermione then Bellatrix forfeited her own life.

_Avada Kedavra. Avada Kedavra. AVADA KEDAVRA._

"Ava-"

"STUPEFY!"

Minerva's head snapped up and her eyes rested on Luna Lovegood. The Ravenclaw was standing at the top of the path leading towards the Burrow, her arm out stretched as the spell flew towards Bellatrix.

The Death Eater leapt out of the way, allowing Hermione to scramble up. Luna was immediately attacked by another Death Eater, but it had relieved Hermione's pain.

Bellatrix snarled in anger and rounded on Hermione. Using a spell she had obviously learnt from Snape, Bellatrix sent the curse straight toward the Gryffindor.

"Sectumsempra!"

Hermione stumbled backwards, pain shooting through her body as three long cuts appeared across her front. Blood began pouring out and Minerva panicked. She could see what was about to happen; the words were forming on Bellatrix's lips.

Time seemed to slow for the Transfiguration professor. She ran towards the girl, arm outstretched in desperation. Hermione looked up, her eyes leaving the bleeding gashes and focusing on Bellatrix. A flash of green light and the killing curse was sailing towards her.

Minerva grasped her arm, turning as she ran.

There was a sharp pop and the echo of the Avada Kedavra striking Nott, who had been standing behind Hermione.

**00000**

Minerva looked around, wondering where she had apparated to. Hermione was wheezing, leaning against her as Minerva continued to fall into a state of panic. Suddenly she realised; she had apparated to Hermione's home.

She glanced around the street, thankful there were no muggles present to have witnessed their arrival. She hurried forward, up a small pathway and to the front door. She knocked sharply and urgently, Hermione leaning more heavily on her with every passing moment. Minerva re-adjusted her grip on the young girl, too worried to think about how nice it felt to have Hermione's warm body pressed up against her own.

There was an 'I'll get it!' heard from inside the home and Minerva became increasingly impatient. Hermione could be dying; bleeding to death right there and her parents were taking so long to open the door!

Finally the front door swung open and revealed the smiling face of Matthew Granger, Hermione's father. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open at the sight of his daughter, blood dripping to the floor in front of his very eyes.

"Who is it, sweetie?"

Jane Granger appeared behind her husband, the same smile fixed on her face as she held a cloth and a glass. She spotted her daughter and promptly dropped the glass, ignoring the shattering sound.

Jane began to stutter, her mouth opening and closing in a manner similar to that of a fish. Hermione raised her head, eye lids heavy.

"Mum…" she croaked out before passing out in Minerva's arms.

"Hermione!" Minerva cried out her student's name and the Grangers sprang into action. Matthew quickly picked up Hermione's feet while Jane frantically directed them into the living room. As both witch and muggle placed the unconscious girl on the sofa, Jane began to hyperventilate.

"W-what do we do! We have to call an ambulance, she could die!" the terrified mother exclaimed, running to pick up the telephone.

"No!" Minerva's voice was sharp and commanding, leaving no room for argument. Not that Jane wouldn't try, at least.

"What do you mean, don't call an ambulance! Are you insane, my daughter's dying right now and you're telling me I SHOULDN'T call for help? Who the hell are you, anyway?" Jane all but screamed. Minerva fought to keep her calm as she extracted her wand and began to mutter a long string of words. "Stop it! What are you doing to her!"

Jane ran forward, pushing Minerva away and standing as a physical barrier between the teacher and her daughter.

Minerva's gaze hardened. "No, do not call an ambulance because your daughter has been cursed with a very powerful spell. Muggles would not be able to help her, she would die and there would be a lot of awkward questions. As to who I am, I am Professor Minerva McGonagall from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Head of Gryffindor House, Deputy Headmistress, soon to be Headmistress and the only damn hope your daughter has at the moment!" Minerva shouted, her face flushed with her anger, "Now are you going to let me save her life or not?"

Jane stared hard at her for a moment before stepping to the side. Minerva pushed past before kneeling down next to Hermione. She quickly tore the bloodied shirt, exposing Hermione's wounds and withheld a sob at the sight. Three cuts – one from the top of her right breast to the bottom of her right, a second from the bottom of her right breast to the bottom of her ribs on the left and the third from the bottom of her rib cage to the top of her left hip bone.

Minerva used her wand to remove Hermione's bra so she didn't have to move her anymore and watched as the torn garment fell to the floor. She gazed at the wounds for a moment before she began muttering healing spells, the stream of magic fighting to repair the broken skin.

Minerva frowned in worry as she observed Hermione's face. Her nose was scrunched in obvious pain despite her unconscious state and there was a thin sheen of sweat over her pasty face. Minerva halted in her casting as she realised what needed to be done. She quickly stood, reaching into her robes.

Minerva's fingers fastened around what she was looking for; a small vial. She pulled it out and her expression fell.

It was empty.

Minerva never went anywhere without this vial; it always held a blood replenishing potion. After the war against Grindelwald Minerva had discovered it was better to be prepared than not.

This was why it was such a shock to see her small vial empty of the green liquid.

Minerva abruptly turned to face the Grangers who were staring at her with expectant expressions.

"Well?" Matthew asked her and Minerva swallowed thickly.

"Did Hermione take her trunk to the Burrow today?" Minerva asked, eyes fastened on the sleeping girl's form.

"N-no, she said it was a visit. Why, is it something important?" Jane asked, her eyes filling with tears. Minerva nodded once before taking a deep breath.

"I'm hoping the Miss Granger is as prepared as I think she is." Minerva took another deep breath before raising her wand. She muttered the accio charm and listed a long list of items including a cauldron. There was a loud clattering noise from directly above them and a cauldron, several vials and other strange-looking ingredients floated down the stairs.

Relief flooded Minerva's face as said objects settled on the coffee table. She hurried to the fireplace, pulling logs from it and setting them on the table. Quickly she used her wand to light the logs and levitate the cauldron over the flame. She murmured a charm and the cauldron half-filled with water.

"Wait, the table will catch on fire!" Matthew exclaimed, rushing forward to put out the fire.

"Mr Granger, I used _magic_." Minerva said, unable to withhold her scathing tone.

The Grangers watched as Minerva set to work, summoning a knife and beginning to chop up the ingredients. The water in the cauldron began to bubble and, her hands working in a flurry, she added some ingredients.

The potion turned a dark brown and Minerva turned back to Hermione, resting her hand on the young girl's forehead. She saw her pasty complexion and bit her lip in worry.

"Shit!"

It was rare for Minerva McGonagall to swear and she mentally scolded herself for losing her cool. She quickly cast a patronus and watched as the silver tabby sped off to find Poppy Pomfrey.

Minerva turned back to her cauldron, adding another ingredient before she froze.

"Oh no… what do I do?" Minerva muttered to herself, eyes wide as she racked her brain for the next step in the concoction of the potion.

"Three… counter-clockwise… two clockwise…"

Minerva spun around to see Hermione's brown eyes barely managing to focus on her. Her voice was croaky and dry. Minerva gulped, nodded once and finished brewing the potion as instructed.

The older witch pulled out her empty vial and quickly filled it. She cast a cooling charm before placing the vial at Hermione's lips.

The girl grimaced as the sour potion flowed down her throat. When the vial was drained she slumped back against the pillows of the sofa. Minerva watched as the colour slowly began to return to Hermione's skin. She muttered some more spells, watching as the cuts slowly began to heal themselves.

It took a few minutes but eventually the cuts were no-longer bleeding, although they were still sore. Poppy would need to help Hermione as Minerva wasn't able to help any further.

The people in the room were silent for a moment. Hermione lay, still half-naked, on the sofa as she began to recover. Minerva was slumped next to her on the floor, relieved she had managed to save the life of her young love. Jane and Matthew Granger were stunned into silence at seeing more magic than they had ever seen before in their lives.

Eventually Jane moved, covering her now-sleeping daughter with a blanket as she stared at the older witch.

"Who are you?" Jane murmured as she stared at Minerva.

"I already told you; I'm Minerva McGonagall, Professor at-"

"No," Jane cut her off, shaking her head, "No, I mean, who are you to Hermione?"

Minerva fell silent for a moment, staring at the figure of the sleeping girl. Eventually she answered, "I'm her professor, her mentor, her friend and…"

Minerva trailed off, unsure what else to say. Outside there was a series of loud pops which were quickly followed by a loud banging on the front door.

"MRS GRANGER! MR GRANGER! LET US IN!" Ron's voice shouted from outside and Matthew Granger went to open the front door. As soon as it was opened Ron, Harry, Ginny and Luna all came running into the room, searching for their friend.

"'Mione!" Ron shouted as he saw her lying on the sofa. He ran over, collapsing to his knees next to Minerva. Poppy Pomfrey bustled into the room, pushing Ron aside and pulling the blanket off. Her eyes assessed the damage as Harry and Ron looked away, embarrassed. Molly, Arthur, Fred, George, Tonks and Remus hurried into the room with various injuries, but all worried about Hermione.

Jane looked at the filled living room, spotting her husband's head sticking through the doorway.

"Who the hell are all of you?"

Everyone turned to look at the confused muggle before introducing themselves simply as members of the Order of the Phoenix.

**00000**

Hermione opened her eyes, the light too bright for her pupils and so she snapped them shut again.

"Hermione?"

Hermione's eyes opened once again and she found herself staring into the emerald orbs of Minerva McGonagall.

"Minerva?" Hermione slurred the name, wincing as she was helped to sit up. She glanced around the living room; Harry, Ron and Ginny were standing by the wall, smiling in relief as they saw their friend regaining consciousness. Fred and George were next to them, grinning down at her. Molly and Arthur were standing with Tonks and Remus, the four of them relieved to see her awake as were Bill, Fleur and Kingsley who had only just arrived. Jane and Matthew were standing behind Minerva, practically crying in relief.

"H-hey everyone." She greeted with a weak smile. They greeted her back and she shifted uncomfortably. "What happened after we left?" she questioned, assessing her friends. They all seemed unharmed, thanks to Poppy who had already left.

Ginny cleared her throat, "Well, Bellatrix's curse hit Nott instead of you, so he died. After that they all seemed to start to panic. Bellatrix didn't seem that bothered that she'd killed one of their own and I think the others realised how much of a crazy bitch-"

"Ginevra!"

"-Bellatrix is. Sorry, mum. So after that, we managed to stupefy Rodolphus and the others apparated away with whoever they could. Avery's in Azkaban at the moment, though."

Hermione nodded slowly, relieved that no-one else got hurt.

"Mione?" Ron cleared his throat and Hermione looked up at him, "Madam Pomfrey said you can't leave here tonight; that you can barely move at all, so someone needs to stay with you."

"Could I make a request?" Matthew asked, "Perhaps… Minerva could stay? After all, she can take the best care of Hermione, from what we've seen."

There were murmurs of agreement and so Minerva was left to look after Hermione. As each person apparated Hermione turned to look at her mentor.

"Thank you."

Minerva glanced down at the girl. "What for?"

"For being here, for helping me… for saving my life and for being such a wonderful person." Hermione smiled as a faint blush covered the older witch's cheeks. She sat up and pressed a light kiss to Minerva's cheek. "Thank you, Minerva."

Minerva's eyes widened. "You're quite welcome, Hermione."

The two witches stared at each other for a moment before leaning forwards. Their lips gently brushed, the first kiss of many to come.

**Edited: 21/06/2011**


End file.
